Lord Of The Rings: The Conquest of Moria
by Barzini
Summary: When Durin's Bane awoke, dwarfs fled Khazâd-Dum. Now that the Balrog is dead, the dwarfs want the Halls of their Fathers, BACK.
1. Chapter 1

Gimli the dwarf hurried across the Bridge of Khazad-Dum with an army of stout dwarfs behind him. Dwarfs are hardy folk, and folks that gave goblins no mercy, for they receive none in return.

The dwarfish companies had broken through the East Gate of Khazad-Dum and quickly repaired the bridge which Gandalf the Grey had broken years ago. Dwarfs are unmatched in crafts. The only people who could have surpassed such work was The Valar, creators of Middle-Earth. Meanwhile, things have been almost too quiet, where the goblins only stood their ground at the East Gate, but the dwarfs had marched almost unopposed to the Bridge Of Khazad-Dum.

The Bridge of Khazad-Dum was solely built for defence, and any foes of Durin's Folks would have to suffer from the barrages of Dwarfish ballistas, arrows and throwing axes, yet only able to manoeuvre in a thin straight line, or risk falling into the chasms below. This narrow bridge would later prove to hinder the flight of the dwarfs in the Third Age, as only a small amount of dwarfs could make across the bridge at one time, and the Balrog of Morgorth was on their tail.

However, Gandalf had felled the foul beast at the peak of the Highest Mountain, Zirak-Zigil to the dwarfs, Celebdil to the elves, and in the Common Speech, Silvertine.

Now that the beast has been felled, Durin's folks now amass from Middle-Earth to reclaim the halls of their Fathers. From the Iron Hills, the Lonely Mountains, and from the land of the Rohirrim, where Gimli had said, "the caverns of Helm's Deep are vast and beautiful..." and which he vowed, "With cautious skill, tap by tap...display far chambers that arm still dark, glimpsed only as a void beyond fissures in the rock..." ,but return he did, from the Glittering Caves, at the call of his kinsfolks, a thousand strong, stout folks wielding battle axes, yet unlike other dwarfs, wielded a Rohirriom shield, and riding ponies from the House of Eorl and carrying with them enough food to last a huge siege, or a withdrawal of Durin's Folks lest they fail the test of time or if they are indeed inferior to Orcish rabbles and goblins.

Gimli was supposed to break through the gate and rendezvous with Thorin III Stonehelm, the new King Under the Mountains, at the Twenty-First Hall, in the Chamber of Mazarbul, or in the Common Speech, The Chamber of Records, where lies Balin, son of Fundin, Hobbit-friend...

As the dwarf company advanced across the bridge,a sound,so familiar to Gimli, years back when he travelled with The Fellowship...

_Doom, doom_ went the drums...drums in the deep...

Gimli looked at his companions, and simply said, "They are coming."

Suddenly,from the sides of the bridge, hoarse goblin voices could be heard, and the sound of crudely made bows having arrows fitted onto it, and TWANG, the goblin arrows descended on the bridge, but Gimli's soldiers were equipped for such an event, which is why they brought shields of the Rohirrim to battle. They formed a turtle like formation, with Gimli at the centre,and slowly marched across the Bridge of Khazad-Dum, the arrows bouncing off the big, round Rohirrim shields.

Then, dwarfs inside the formation placed their crossbow in the small gaps between the shields and returned fire. Unlike arrows of crude Goblin or Orc type, arrows of dwarf-make flew true and rarely missed its mark if that was where the owner intended it for it to hit.

Even so,the quality of the armour was beginning to tell. Whenever an arrow from Durin's side hit the opposition, the arrow slew them instantly, however, when an Orcish arrow manages to go through the gaps of the shields, the arrows just bounced off their armour.

As the dwarfs were feeling very pleased with themselves, a boulder smashed off part of their formation. As the dwarfs from behind hastened to reform, from the gap between them, Gimli, Gloin's son could see a cave troll, yet lifting another boulder-

Gimli took out his throwing axe, and as he threw it, he shouted, "Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!" , and with all his strength,flung the throwing axe at the cave troll.

The axe flew into the face of the troll, and its handlers, who are trying to rein it in, was pulled in after it, into the depths below.

When they managed to cross the Bridge, Gimli had lost only six men from the attack by the cave troll, and Durin's Folks had shot many. Yet, Orcish rabbles and goblins were always numerically superior as they could breed easily. Also, after the fall of Sauron, Orcs that avoided the collapse of the foundations of Mordor had fled here and have long sat in the shadows in Moria.

Gimli then led his army across the great halls of Moria, and as they stopped to survey the surroundings, his lieutenant, Jorn Stoneaxe, came thundering down with his scouts, and shouted, "Black Uruks from Mordor and Isengard! They are upon us!"

Uruks, or Uruk-Hai, were applied as a rule to all of the elite soldiers of the dark forces. Big creatures slightly bigger than Men and stronger too. The Uruks from Mordor wield a scimitar and a small round shield. They wore no armour for they pride on themselves for being agile and being good fighters against Men of Gondor. Meanwhile, the Uruks from Isengard are those who managed to escape from the wrath of the Rohirrim at Helm's Deep and from the ents in Isengard. They carried long, straight swords, their shields broad, their armour thick.

"O, Durin's Folks! Throwing Axes at the ready! Send the foul creatures that defiled the halls of our fathers back into the abyss!" Gimli's deep voice rumbled across the halls.

_Doom, Doom_

With the hoarse voices of Orcs and Uruk-Hais, they could make out this..

"_Short and stout, fleeing like cowards from Durin's Bane,_

_Good at running and nothing else. Hack them, slash them, burn them._

_Chase them away from the shadows, Awake! Awake and slay Durin's Folks!"_

Gimli's anger rose within him, and he cried out,

"_Awake! Awake! Durin's Folks! Send them back to the shadows!_

_For Khazâd -Dum is rightly ours! Send them out of Dwarrowdelf!"_

And with a loud cry, the Uruks appeared and rushed at Durin's Folks, and the first line of them was cut down by the throwing axes. Though the onslaught of the Orcs were fierce, the dwarfs stood their ground and had the mastery, for wrath was within them when they saw the foul Eye of Mordor painted on the halls of their fathers, and hope of retaking Moria had been re-kindled within them.

Gimli hacked at the Uruks, he aimed high, bringing his battle axe into their faces. Then, the Orcs attempted to surround Gimli, for even with their minuscule brain, they could figure out that Gimli was their leader. However, this is folly, as whenever an Orc turned its back on a dwarf, he either gets a nice, large battle axe planted in his back, or gets impaled by a throwing axe.

The dwarfs hacked and jabbed at the Orcs, and Gimli cried out to them, "Engineers! Are you ready!"

The Orcs looked at them in surprise, but the magnitude of their own folly was revealed to them at once. They had arrived without the cover of their own archers. Yet, Gimli had brought materials from The Glittering Cave to construct heavy Catapults and Ballistas.

Stoneaxe yelled, "Light the ammunition! Fire!"

Almost at the same time, great flaming boulders and bolts came flinging to the back of the enemies, and the dwarfs launched a massive counterattack. The hearts of the Uruks were filled with fear, and they started to rout, under heavy barrages from the dwarfish Catapults and Ballistas.

"So ends the battle for the Bridge of Khazâd -Dum...Now begins the battle for Moria..."


	2. Chapter 2,Reclaiming of Mazarbul

"Gimli, the assault by the Uruks have cost us 140 men at least. There are Seven levels in Moria, according to the Book of Records that you have brought back with you a long time ago."

Seven levels of Moria there are, there were originally four, but the dwarfs had been mining a vein of mithril and dug three more levels, perhaps three levels too deep. Three levels caused the Balrog of Morgorth to awake,

Awake it did and slew the folks of Durin's Bane, until none were left.

The Book of Records was a book that recorded the events of Balin's team when they attempted to re-enter Moria. The book ended with Oin writing, "They are coming", which suggests that they have made a last stand by the Gates of the Chamber of Records.

Yet, it gives detailed information of the various levels, its hastily constructed defences of the dwarfs against the Balrog, and later, the goblins. Unfortunately, these goblins now man these defences, a foul creature manning the dwarfish defences, insulting.

"Gimli, the defences of this level is only the Bridge of Khazâd-Dum, which we have already taken. The Uruks are only but a taste of what lies ahead. If we cannot make it to the Chamber of Records without losing more men, there is no hope in fighting."

Gimli looked around at the dwarfs which were removing the weapons and armour of their fallen comrades, until Gimli caught sight of something which was not supposed to be what an Uruk-Hai captain should be wearing...

Jorn Stoneaxe had also seen this sight, and hurried forward and lifted the necklace off the Uruk-Hai's neck. He then ran to the side of a lit torch and examined it. Gimli walked over, slowly.

"Gimli!" Jorn exclaimed, "Read this!"

Gimli tilted the carvings on the emerald necklace, and held it to the light.

"_Craft of Durin. Lord of Moria._"

Gimli gave a start. Then, he examined its craft closely. The necklace was light, as if the emeralds were not on it, and the emeralds were polished by such skill that it shone even in darkness.

Gimli's heart was burning. An Orc? Wearing the works of their fathers? It must be the greatest insult since the Orcs cut up Thror...

"Look here, Jorn. Have you any dwarfish pride in you left? You will accept this humiliation? Let works of our Fathers gather dust in the holes of Orcs?"

Jorn looked down to the floor and was silent.

The Bridge of Khazâd-Dum was one level below that of the Chamber of Records, and Thorin III Stonehelm would rush his troops from the West Gate after slaying the Watcher in the Water, not engage with the Orcs and head right to the Chamber of Records, and meet up with the smaller army of Gimli.

"Let us march level more and we can bow before the tomb of Balin, and properly settle the bodies of his men around the Chamber."

The dwarfs piled the bodies of their friends at the sides of the bridges, and they sang in the tongue of the Rohirrim and of the ancient dwarfish tongues, the lament song for their dead.

"_Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsended giedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende on Meduselde þæt he_ _ma no wære his dryhtne dyrest and_ _mæga deorost. Bealo..."_

"_An evil death has set forth the noble warrior A song shall sing sorrowing minstrels in Meduseld that he is no more, to his lord dearest and kinsmen most belover. 'An evil death..."_

They admired the Halls as they walked towards the Twenty-First Hall. Even the stairs, covered with muck and dried blood, recalled an image of the former grandeur of the Dwarrowdelf. Of the walls of Khazâd-Dum, empty gaping holes where sparkling jewels had been, robbed and dug out by the goblins.

Suddenly, a dwarf cried out, "Olog-Hai! Northeast of catapults! Crossbows! Fire!"

Bofi Ironfoot(not related to Dain Ironfoot), directed the Ballistas towards the Olog-Hais. The bolts were smashed aside by the trolls, as they ambled towards the siege equipment and the dwarf engineers.

The Olog-Hais were a different breed of trolls that started to appear in The War of the Ring. These trolls had thick hides and need not fear the sun, for, unlike previous breeds, they would not turn to stone. They were also of great evil and cunning. The only speech they know of is the Black Speech of Mordor.

Bofi then led the dwarfs to circle the trolls, and formed a great wall of Rohirrim shield around the siege equipments. Thorin III Stonehelm had entrusted the construction of the siege equipments to Gimli, while he amassed mercenaries and roused other dwarfs to his call.

Gimli and his own guards, the Old Guards, charged at the trolls, throwing their axes at the feet of a trolls, which lifted its head and moaned in pain, exposing its neck, which was in seconds, replaced by the bolt of a Ballista, and it's head went sailing off and landed with a dull thud.

The remaining trolls turned and faced Gimli and the guards. They glared back at the trolls, unflinching. As they stood motionless, suddenly, a rain of flaming boulders and bolts hit the trolls from behind, instantly killing several of them. They cried out in anger, and cursed in the Black Speech, and the dwarfs called names at them.

Suddenly, an Orcish horn sounded, and the trolls cast one angry look at the dwarfs before hurrying away amidst the barrages of arrows and rocks.

As the dwarfs cheered, Gimli's thoughts turned to the Book of Records, and he examined the defences of the Twenty-First Hall. Then, it was as he feared.

The trolls have only been here to weaken their forces. There is a dwarfish wall at the Hall, complete with Ballistas, and manned catapults. No siege ladder would be able to scale the walls, as dwarf walls are so constructed that there are no notches for siege ladders to cling onto, and they can be easily kicked off.

Gimli held a counsel with Jorn and Bofi.

"I say we take the gates by ramming, and when they divert manpower to brace the gates, we fling up siege ladders and scale the walls," Jorn suggested.

Bofi shook his head and said, "I'll wager my beard that the Orcs outnumber us, this battle can only be won with skill. Even if we do manage to storm the walls, we have barely enough men to reclaim the remaining levels."

Jorn nodded and sighed, he sat down on a barrel which gave way under him.

"Wretched thing! What is this powder!"

"What Saruman used to blow up the walls of Helm's Deep..." was Bofi's reply.

During the war of the Ring, the white wizard, Saruman, led an army of ten thousand to invade Rohan, land of the horse lords, and being almost impossible to scale the walls with the stubborn men of Rohan fighting for every inch of the grounds. Saruman then blew up the walls with an explosive device, allowing his army to breach the walls and almost ended with victory.

Gimli was there, he was there to witness the explosion. The explosion had rents debris at him, if not for his small size, he would have been dead, except that the boulders hit tall people. He certainly wasn't one.

Wait...walls...explosion...debris...

"I know how to storm the keep!"

He quickly gave orders on what to do to a surprised army of dwarfs to open every barrel of what Gandalf called Fire Starter in the Common Speech, which Gimli took the liberty or seizing from Isengard, and shipping it to the Glittering Caves. These Fire Starters were highly volatile, where the slightest hint of flame would see to it that it erupts in flames, and explodes.

Gimli ordered the dwarfs to hollow out the ale barrels ( much to their regret), and place a significant amount of Fire Starter into them, and attach a lit cloth onto it, and cover the gap between the cloth and the Fire Starter with a thin sheet of metal, which the dwarfs had in great numbers.

"The little Took found it for me..." was Gimli's reply when asked of its origins.

Soon, about 100 barrels of such type were made, with more on the way, and were moved around with caution as they manoeuvred among the army of the dwarfs to the catapults.

Soon, as they approached the walls, harsh Orc voices could be heard jeering.

"So the fools have come! We thank you for your crafts!" a big burly Goblin shouted to them.

"So the fools have stayed! We thank you for staying!" Gimli shouted back, and gave the signal for the catapults to fire the barrels at the walls.

As the Orcs watched, instead of boulders, tiny little barrels were flying towards them. They gave a harsh, twisted laugh and mocked the Longbeards.

The first wave of barrels collided and exploded at the walls, collapsing about half of it. The faces of the Orcs were serious now.

The second wave of barrels fell among the Goblins, and with a tremendous shake that could have rivalled the breaking of the Bridge by Gandalf years ago. A lot of the foul creatures were lying there, injured or dead. It was a gory sight. The Goblins then, in a desperate rush, fled for the Chamber of Records, and those who were too slow or pushed out, rallied themselves for a desperate rush, worthy of that when Theoden, King of Rohan, rode out of Helm's Deep to meet the enemy. They were easily cut down by the crossbowmen.

Then, as the dwarfs gathered outside the Chamber of Records, Gimli recited from memory, the book that he had read countless of times.

"The ground shakes..."

The dwarfs started to ram the door of the Chamber.

"Drums, drums in the deep..."

The dwarfs blew their horns as the cracks started to appear on the door.

"They are coming..."

As the door collapsed, dwarfs rushed in, and hacked at the Orcs, arrows filing in from outside and descending upon the enemy like locusts.

Gimli rushed in and stood with his guards around Balin's body, and they fought off all who attempted to retreat near the tomb where Balin, son of Fundin, lies.

Only after a good hour or so did Durin's Folks managed to purge the Chamber completely of Orcish rabbles, for they, when desperate, would fight to their last breath, hacking, slicing and even biting.

"Dwarfs... kneel before him..." Gimli gestured at the tomb.

A flurry of movement swept through as dwarfs dropped their axes and mourned his death.

"We will avenge him... O'my kinfolks... Now...Where is Thorin?"

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**Author's Note**

**The lament for the fallen ones are written in Old English, as of the tongue of the Rohirrim.**

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	3. Chapter 3,The Last Battle

Gimli slowly walked up to the throne behind Balin's tomb, and he gripped the edges of the throne, and then, he personally got a bucket of water, and started cleaning off the cobwebs and dust off the chair.

"The throne room of our Fathers must be made presentable once more...", he muttered, and the younger dwarfs, slowly cleaned off the dirt on Balin's tomb, and on the tomb of stone, covered it with a sheet of gold, decorated with emeralds and of other toys of the dwarfs.

Then, Jorn placed two axe of dwarf-make onto the tomb, crossed, as if the former lord of Moria was daring anyone to approach him, and he would hurl the axe at the offender.

Suddenly, a great horn sounded, and more sounded in its reply. A great host was approaching. But friend or foe they could not say. For Gimli had not heard the horn of his kin from the mountains for a long time, and who knew what other treacherous beasts await in Moria?

Then, a deep rumbling voice sounded from across the halls, "All hail the King under the Mountain!", and horns sounded again.

Gimli quickly ordered his men to stop their cleaning up and stand at attention, their axes to be held to their heart like a pledge, their helmet to be held to the side by their free hand.

Thorin III was dressed in a blue cloak, and as he walked, the hint of an axe was revealed to everyone who managed to catch a glimpse of what was underneath the cloak. He's beard was still black, and his eyes shone with a vigour of a dwarf who had just seen a mountain of Mithril. The dwarfish host bowed before him, as he swaggered into the Chamber of Records, and set himself on the throne.

"Well… Well… this feels good again… doesn't it Gimli, son of Gloin?" Thorin III asked him.

Gimli bowed as he stepped away from the throne, and with a loud horn which he blew, he announced the return of the dwarfs into Dwarrowdelf.

"Not so soon… Gimli, son of Gloin, my army is six thousand strong, and we have wrestled with Orcs and other creatures for 5 of the levels. We won."

The dwarfs from the Glittering Caves shouted and cheered, but were silenced almost immediately by a look from Gimli.

"We won…yes…but there is one thing I fear, therefore, all of my closest lieutenants and that of Gimli's will hold counsel together while you all rest. Rest well! Tomorrow will be a day that we can once again wear Durin's crown lest he wakes!"

The dwarfs set up makeshift outposts around the halls and started campfires and brought out barrels of beer, to which they toasted to some fine dwarf who had fallen into Shadow.

The Counsel was held well away from the other dwarfs, for Thorin feared that what they would hear will do more harm than good.

"This is the 3rd level of Moria. Originally there were 3, correct?"Thorin gestured at the map, the dwarfs murmured in agreement.

"We took the remaining levels, and slew the Watcher in the Water. However, common sense would tell us that the 4 levels which we dug are poorly defended. For One Age, there were 3 levels, and if defenders were in a battle for their lives, they would prefer to be in an area, deepest, most secure for themselves. Thus, the 3rd level."

Bofi was looking so confused, and he asked the King, "No… it should be the 7th."

Thorin gave a merry laugh and said, "No! No! My kinsman, the Third Age for Dwarrowdelf ended too quickly for any defenses to be constructed there. It is here, that we must watch out for, and where the enemy has rallied and mustered their own."He placed a stubby finger at the Third Level.

Gimli opened the Book of Records and studied the Third Level. Oin had only described it as "a bastion of dwarfish might", but for a dwarf to really say that, it means that the fortifications there are beyond belief.

Bofi just shrugged and said,"Our siege equipments will bring it down."

Thorin sighed and said, "I hope so..."

Then, the council was called off and each commander went off respectively to their encampment. Gimli, instead went to Durin's s Mirrormere, and looked into it. At first, he saw nothing, but the vision suddenly changed to that of a dwarf made siege tower set on fire as it crashed against the wall. Then, he saw an orderly mass of Orcish crossbowman march out and shot the dwarfish survivors. At this, Gimli gave a cry of horror and covered his hands over his eyes and fled. Of this vision, he told no one. But, he started to read the Chamber of Records in great detail once more, and he came upon a scribble near Oin's handwriting.

_"...as a last resort...food...will not...wall's secret...deeping walls."_

Of this ancient text, Gimli could only make out this. He sighed and laid down to rest.

When he woke up, most of the dwarfs were already gearing up for a last assault, to a total victory.

Thorin was giving an inspirational speech to them.

"Inside us, the blood of Durin burns, and as we speak, a dwarfish army as grand as the Last Alliance rally forth, for a deed comparable to their noble intents!"

The dwarfs raised their axes and cheered, some roared in laughter.

Gimli slowly approached Thorin, and asked if the need for an all-out offensive was really necessary. Thorin looked at Gimli as if he was crazy. Gimli then with haste, explained to Thorin, whether laying siege to it was better, depriving them of anything to eat.

Thorin seemed to give the matter some thoughts, and relented, yet, he was going to order Jorn with a hundred dwarfs to test the enemy's defenses. Gimli sighed and nodded.

Two hours after Jorn set out, a young dwarf who was bloodied and had a notch in his helmet, dashed straight to Thorin, and shouted that all has fallen to the Shadow. Jorn was burnt to death while he attacked with a siege tower.

"The enemy had some devilry waiting for us. When we approached them, the emerald walls suddenly shone with a bright light, and our archers were blinded. We led a mad charge only to run into fumes which made us weak. Then, our siege towers burst into flames..." he became choked with tears at this point of time.

Thorin looked at Gimli and he gave a very bitter laugh.

"O! How fortunes turn! Haha!" he laughed bitterly while he hit the table in anger.

"Gimli! Get Bofi and the engineers to lay siege to the enemy. I want no less than a hundred explosive devices thrown towards the enemy a day. Is that understood? My men will establish a trade route with the other Longbeards."

Gimli saluted Thorin and hastily began to make preparations for the first of many barrages to be carried out later.

A dwarf army fired hundreds of explosives everyday, and the sound echoed to other areas, where, a person who just entered would think it to be fireworks.

Finally, after a month into the siege, the remnants of Orcs, trolls and goblins, opened the gate and sallied forth, one desperate charge for their lives.

The dwarfs, in one swift action,flung their throwing axes at the trolls and with their battleaxes, hewed at their foe. It was a bitter fight.

Orcs wrestled with some dwarfs and tried to take their weapons. Some jumped at the enemy and bit at them, only to recoil in pain from the shoulder guard, and shot by a crossbow.

Some much bigger Orcs had to be killed by jumping onto it and cleave them.

For four hours, this battle ensued. For four hours, hundreds of dwarfs fell. For four hours, thousands of Orcs died.

Finally, when the last orc was killed by Thorin himself, all threw their helmets into the air, and all the ale and meat were brought out for the host. The dead were buried honourably, and the doors to Moria were reopened, after one age.

Trade flourished between the elves of Lorein, even the elves of Mirkwood came forth with food in return for gold and other toys. Even from areas as far as Gondor, merchants came to do business.

Durin's folks had begun their crafts again. Hammer and Anvil sounded once again in the Halls.

Gimli stayed for a while before departing for the Glittering Caves.

His time was coming. He fingered the lock of hair in his pocket.

"Over the sea...I will go..."

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**The finale! For anyone that is confused how I managed to know whom will deal with the folks in Khazad-Dum, look at the map. You'll know :)**

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